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Abstract:

Container receiving apparatus for a vehicle interior having an upper
supporting frame and a lower support base, the supporting frame being
mounted in a receiving housing such that it can be moved linearly between
a retracted rest position and an extended receiving position, and the
support base being mounted by means of pivoting kinematics such that it
can be moved between a supporting functional position and a rest position
which is integrated into the receiving housing. The pivoting kinematics
are assigned a blocking device which is active so as to limit movement or
force, in such a way that the support base is secured in its functional
position against unintentional pivoting up of the support base.

Claims:

1. A container receiving apparatus for a vehicle interior having an upper
supporting frame which is provided for lateral support of at least one
container, and a lower support base which is provided for bottom-side
support of the container, the supporting frame being mounted in a
receiving housing such that it can be moved linearly between a retracted
rest position and an extended receiving position, and the support base
being mounted by means of pivoting kinematics such that it can be moved
between a supporting functional position and a rest position which is
integrated into the receiving housing, wherein the pivoting kinematics
are assigned a blocking means which is active so as to limit movement or
force, in such a way that the support base is secured in its functional
position against unintentional pivoting up of the support base.

2. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
blocking means is active in a non-positive or positively locking manner.

3. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
blocking means comprises at least one latching cam which is integrated
into a movement guide of the pivoting kinematics, can be overridden
mechanically, and is assigned to the supporting functional position of
the support base in the movement guide.

4. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the
movement guide is provided with an end-side angled-away portion in a
transition region to the functional position for the support base.

5. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
at least one latching cam is assigned to the angled-away away portion.

6. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
pivoting kinematics comprise a carrier arm and a control arm which can be
moved pivotably parallel to one another and act on the support base 46 at
a spacing from one another.

7. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
movement guide, the angled-away portion and the latching cam are
integrated into the control arm.

8. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
latching cam is arranged in such a way that a pivoting movement of the
support base relative to the carrier arm is prevented in the functional
position of the support base.

9. The container receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a
spring arrangement acts on the control arm, which spring arrangement
exerts a torque on the control arm in the direction of the supporting
functional position of the support base.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the priority of the German patent
application DE 10 2014 217 107.5, the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a container receiving apparatus for a
vehicle interior having an upper supporting frame which is provided for
lateral support of at least one container, and a lower support base which
is provided for bottom-side support of the at least one container, the
supporting frame being mounted in a receiving housing such that it can be
moved linearly between a retracted rest position and an extended
receiving position, and the support base being mounted by means of
pivoting kinematics such that it can be moved between a supporting
functional position and a rest position which is integrated into the
receiving housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A container receiving apparatus of this type for a vehicle interior
is known in general. The container receiving apparatus is integrated into
a lowerable center armrest of a rear seat bench and comprises an upper
supporting frame and a lower support base. The supporting frame and the
support base are arranged recessed in an end side of the center armrest
in a rest position. For the functional position, the supporting frame is
extended linearly to the front in a horizontally lowered position of the
center armrest. At the same time, the support base is moved out via a
pivoting kinematics, the support base lowering into a supporting
functional position below the supporting frame. If one or two containers
are then inserted into the supporting frame from above, they dip through
the supporting frame until they are supported on the bottom side on the
support base.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide a container receiving
apparatus of the type mentioned at the outset, the supporting function of
which container receiving apparatus is improved for at least one
container.

[0005] This object is achieved by virtue of the fact that the pivoting
kinematics are assigned a blocking means which is active so as to limit
movement or force, in such a way that the support base is secured in its
functional position against unintentional pivoting up of the support
base. The blocking means serves to secure the supporting functional
position of the support base. As a result, problems are avoided which
could occur in the prior art. An oblique position of the container within
the supporting frame could lead to the bottom of the container being
displaced on the support base in such a way that a return pivoting
movement was imparted to the support base, which return pivoting movement
canceled secure support of the container bottom. As a result, a
pronounced oblique position of the container and sliding downward of the
container beyond the support base could occur, as a result of which
liquid could spill out of the container in relatively large quantities.
This is avoided by the solution according to the invention, since the
support base is additionally secured in its supporting functional
position by way of the blocking means. The blocking means is active
either so as to limit movement or so as to limit force. Movement limited
means that the blocking means generates a beyond-dead-center position or
a latching position for the pivoting kinematics and the pivoting
mobility. Movement limited also means that the mobility of the support
base is blocked merely in a defined movement direction which occurs as a
result of loads from above or from below on the support base, but that
said blocking means is at the same time not active in the case of an
intentional transfer of the support base and the supporting frame into
the rest position. In the case of a blocking means which is active so as
to limit force, an increased frictional connection is preferably provided
at a defined point in the region of the pivoting kinematics, in order to
prevent the undesired movements of the support base its supporting
functional position. However, said additional frictional forces are
force-limited in such a way that manual restoring of the support base by
an operator is made possible in the case of a desired transfer of the
supporting frame and the support base into the rest position. In order to
override the force limitation by way of the blocking means, a briefly
increased exertion can be required which is selected in such a way,
however, that it can be applied without problems by an operator of
average strength. The blocking means is advantageously active in a
non-positive or positively locking manner. The blocking means can be
formed by one or more blocking sections or parts which interact with one
another.

[0006] In one refinement of the invention, the blocking means comprises at
least one latching cam which is integrated into a movement guide of the
pivoting kinematics, can be overridden mechanically, and is assigned to
the supporting functional position of the support base in the movement
guide. The latching cam ensures that the support base cannot be pivoted
unintentionally into an oblique position in its supporting functional
position.

[0007] In a further refinement of the invention, the movement guide is
provided with an end-side angled-away portion in a transition region to
the functional position for the support base. In a further refinement,
the at least one latching cam is assigned to the angled-away portion. The
support base itself has at least one sliding block which is displaced in
the movement guide. During a transfer of the support base in the
direction of the supporting functional position, the sliding block of the
support base slides or rolls in the movement guide along the end-side
angled-away portion. As soon as the sliding block runs into the
angled-away portion, it passes the latching cam, with the result that the
latter subsequently forms a rear engagement which is active in a
positively locking manner for the sliding block, as soon as the sliding
block comes into contact with the end-side edge of the angled-away
portion. The latching cam is arranged in such a way that a sliding
movement of the sliding block of the support base in the movement guide
out of the rest position in the direction of the supporting functional
position is not impeded by the latching cam, but that the latching cam
blocks a subsequent return movement of the sliding block if the support
base is unintentionally pivoted in its supporting functional position.

[0008] In a further refinement of the invention, the pivoting kinematics
comprise a carrier arm and a control arm which can be moved pivotably
parallel to one another and act on the support base at a spacing from one
another. The two-arm pivoting kinematics which are formed in this way
firstly make secure support of the support base in its functional
position possible and secondly permit simple return and pivoting of the
support base out of the functional position into a rest position, in
which both the support base and the control frame are integrated into a
corresponding receiving housing.

[0009] In a further refinement of the invention, the movement guide, the
angled-away portion and the latching cam are integrated into the control
arm. The control arm can have two movement guides, angled-away portions
and latching cams which are identical to one another on opposite sides.
Accordingly, the support base is also provided with two complementary
sliding blocks which engage into the movement guides which lie opposite
one another.

[0010] In a further refinement of the invention, the latching cam is
arranged in such a way that a pivoting movement of the support base
relative to the carrier arm is prevented in the functional position of
the support base. It is crucial to the invention that the support base
does not carry out any undesired pivoting movements relative to the
carrier arm in its supporting functional position. The latching cam is
therefore arranged in the region of the angled-away portion within the
movement guide in such a way that a pivoting movement of this type of the
support base in its supporting functional position is not possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Further advantages and features of the invention result from the
claims and from the following description of one preferred exemplary
embodiment of the invention which is shown using the drawings, in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a container receiving apparatus
according to the invention which is integrated into a center armrest of a
rear seat bench, in its functional position,

[0013] FIG. 2 shows the container receiving apparatus according to FIG. 1
in its rest position,

[0015] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the container receiving apparatus
according to FIGS. 1 to 3, a receiving housing of the container receiving
apparatus being removed from the center armrest,

[0016] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged illustration of a section through the
container receiving apparatus according to FIG. 4, along the sectional
line V-V in FIG. 4,

[0017] FIG. 6 shows a detail of the container receiving apparatus
according to FIGS. 1 to 5 in an isometric illustration obliquely from
below, the container receiving apparatus being situated in an
intermediate position between the functional position and the rest
position, and

[0018] FIG. 7 shows a detail which is similar to FIG. 6, but from an
opposite side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] According to FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle interior of a passenger motor
vehicle has a rear seat bench 1, of which merely part of a backrest
arrangement is shown for reasons of clarity. The backrest arrangement of
the rear seat bench 1 has a pivotable center armrest 2 in the region of
its center. In an upwardly pivoted rest position, the center armrest 2 is
lowered in a corresponding receptacle of the backrest arrangement and
terminates substantially flush with a surface of the backrest
arrangement. In the armrest position which is shown using FIGS. 1 and 2,
the center armrest 2 is pivoted forward and downward into an
approximately horizontal position, in which the center armrest 2 is held
in a stable manner by way of corresponding stops.

[0020] A container receiving apparatus 3 is integrated into an end side of
the center armrest 2 which protrudes toward the front in the driving
direction of the passenger motor vehicle in the lowered armrest position.
The container receiving apparatus 3 has a cassette-like receiving housing
4 which is inserted from the end side of the center armrest 2 into a
corresponding cavity of the center armrest 2 and is locked in the center
armrest 2.

[0021] A supporting frame 5 and a support base 6 of the container
receiving apparatus 3 are mounted movably in the receiving housing 4. On
the end side, the supporting frame 5 is provided with a panel which is
not denoted in greater detail and brings about a visually flush
termination of the container receiving apparatus 3 in the region of the
front-side end side of the center armrest 2 as soon as the container
receiving apparatus 3 is transferred into its integrated rest position
(FIG. 2).

[0022] The extended functional position of the container receiving
apparatus 3 is shown using FIG. 1. Said extended functional position is
also shown once again on an enlarged scale using FIG. 3. The supporting
frame 5 has two supporting ring units which are arranged next to one
another and surround in each case one receiving opening for in each case
one container. The supporting frame 5 can be displaced in a linearly
movable manner within the receiving housing 4 between its extended
functional position and its retracted rest position. A drive which can be
configured as a mechanical spring motor is provided in the receiving
housing 4 for displacing the supporting frame 5. Corresponding stops and
locking elements within the receiving housing 4 secure the supporting
frame 5 both in the extended functional position and in the retracted
rest position.

[0023] It can be seen using FIGS. 5 to 7 that the supporting frame 5 is
arranged on an extending rail 13 which is mounted such that it can be
displaced linearly in a telescopic manner in corresponding guide
arrangements within the receiving housing 4.

[0024] In addition, pivoting kinematics 7, 8 for the support base 6 are
arranged on the extending rail 13. The pivoting kinematics 7, 8 comprise
a control arm 7 and a carrier arm 8. Both the control arm 7 and the
carrier arm 8 are mounted on the supporting frame 5 and on the extending
rail 13 such that they can be moved pivotably about pivot axes which are
parallel to one another and extend in the vehicle transverse direction.
The carrier arm 8 is connected to the support base 6 such that it can be
moved pivotably at a bearing point in a front region of said support base
6.

[0025] The control arm 7 dips into a cutout of the support base 6, which
cutout is open toward the rear, as can be seen using FIGS. 3, 6 and 7.
The cutout is not denoted in greater detail. On its side faces which lie
opposite one another, the control arm 7 has in each case one movement
guide 9 which is designed as a groove which is open laterally to the
outside, in which movement guide 9 in each case one sliding block of the
support base 6 is guided such that it can be displaced longitudinally.
The movement guide 9 is open toward the rear and toward the top toward
the extending rail 13. The two sliding blocks of the support base 6 are
arranged in the region of the cutout and point inward toward one another,
starting from opposite limbs of the cutout. Toward its front end which
faces away from the extending rail 13, the movement guide 9 has an
angled-away portion 10 which runs approximately at right angles toward
the front, as can be gathered from FIGS. 5 to 7. In addition, in each
case one latching cam 11 is provided in the region of the angled-away
portion 10 within each movement guide 9, which latching cam 11 is
arranged at an upper edge region of the movement guide 9 in the
transition between the movement guide 9 and the angled-away portion 10.

[0026] The latching cam 11 which is designed as a supporting lug prevents
it being possible for the sliding block 12 in the corresponding movement
guide 9 to be moved back into the movement guide 9, after it has reached
the front end of the angled-away portion 10 (see FIG. 5), during a
pivoting movement of the support base 6 about its bearing point on the
carrier arm 8. For this purpose, the latching cam 11 forms a rear
engagement and rear support. The sliding block 12 can then be guided back
into the movement guide 9 again only if it is first of all guided along
parallel to the extent of the angled-away portion 10 in the region of the
bottom of the angled-away portion 10, with the result that it is released
from the latching cam 11. Accordingly, undesired pivoting movements of
the support base 6 in the supporting functional position of the support
base 6 according to FIG. 5 are avoided by way of the latching cam 11,
which pivoting movements can occur about the pivot point of the carrier
arm 8 relative to the support base 6 in the region of the bearing point
of the carrier arm 8 on the support base 6.

[0027] A leg spring 14 (FIG. 5) acts on the control arm 7 in the region of
its pivoting mounting relative to the extending rail 13 and relative to
the supporting frame 5, which leg spring 14 loads the control arm 7 in
the counterclockwise direction in accordance with the illustration
according to FIG. 5. As a result, a corresponding torque is exerted in
the counterclockwise direction on the control arm 7, which torque
necessarily holds the sliding block 12 at the front end of the
angled-away portion 10, since said front end of the angled-away portion
10 is always pulled against the sliding block 12 by way of the permanent
torque of the control arm 7, which sliding block 12 is fixed to the
support base 6 and is supported in a stable manner by the carrier arm 8.

[0028] As soon as the supporting frame 5 and the support base 6 are then
moved back out of the extended functional position according to FIG. 5 in
the direction of their rest position again, the extending rail 13
retracts into the receiving housing 4, as a result of which the control
arm 7 necessarily comes into contact with the edge of the receiving
housing 4 and is pivoted upward counter to the force of the leg spring
14. As a result, the respective sliding block 12 can slide along toward
the rear in the associated angled-away portion 10, as a result of which
it dips through under the latching cam 11 and passes into the upwardly
running linear region of the movement guide 9. As can be seen using FIGS.
6 and 7, the control arm 9, the support base 6 and the carrier arm 8 can
then be pivoted upward during further retraction of the extending rail 13
into the receiving housing 4. The supporting frame 5 is designed in such
a way that the support base 6, the control arm 7 and the carrier arm 8
can be pivoted upward as far as into the plane of the supporting frame 5,
in which plane dipping of the entire movement unit comprising supporting
frame 5, support base 6, control arm 7 and carrier arm 8 into the
receiving housing 4 is made possible. In the case of a renewed extension
operation, the spring force of the leg spring 14 necessarily again
presses the control arm 7 in the direction of the downwardly pivoted
functional position after the extension of the extending rail 13, as a
result of which the carrier arm 8 and the support base 6 are also
necessarily transferred into their functional position according to FIG.
5 again.

Patent applications in class Accessible from within passenger compartment

Patent applications in all subclasses Accessible from within passenger compartment